The present invention relates to power door assemblies and, more particularly, to a retrofit power door assembly for installation on a manual swing door assembly.
Power operated door assemblies have been retrofit onto manual swing door assemblies and used to open and/or close an associated swinging door panel. Previously, power operated door assemblies have utilized electric motors to move the door between the closed and open positions. These designs are generally bulky and many require extensive modification to existing door frames and/or panels to allow the assembly to be used therewith. Furthermore, to produce the required torque necessary to open or close a standard door, these assemblies utilize a relatively powerful motor and drive system, which normally have used either an expensive high torque motor or a bulky high reduction ratio transmission.
Other designs include pneumatic and hydraulic actuators to produce movement of the door. Some of these designs are advantageous over the previous electric motor designs, because the actuators can be made compact and relatively lightweight. However, the hydraulic pump or pneumatic compressor must be located remotely from the door in these designs. Therefore, the respective assemblies are relatively space-consumptive. Furthermore, as with the previous assemblies utilizing electric motors, the hydraulic and pneumatic operated door operating assemblies are very expensive.
Consequently, there exists a need in the art to provide a cost-efficient self-contained compact door operating system that may be easily retrofit to existing manual swing door assemblies.
It is an object of the present invention to meet the above-described need. To achieve this object, the present invention provides a retrofit power-operated door operating system for installation on a manual swing door assembly. The door assembly comprises a frame mounted to a building wall and a swinging door panel manually movable in a swinging manner with respect to the door frame between opened and closed positions thereof by manual force. The retrofit door operating system comprises a door panel mounting structure constructed and arranged to be mounted to the door panel and a wall mounting structure constructed and arranged to be mounted to the building wall. The retrofit door operating system further comprises a linkage structure connected between the door panel mounting structure and the wall mounting structure.
An axial operator of the retrofit door operating system comprises an operator output member rotatable about an operator axis that extends generally vertically when the system is installed on the swing door assembly. The operator output member and the linkage structure are constructed and arranged such that, when the system is installed on the swing door assembly, rotation of the operator output member drives the linkage structure to move the wall and door panel mounting structures relative to one another to affect powered swinging movement of the door panel between the open and closed position thereof. The axial operator further comprises an electric motor connectable to an electric power supply. The motor has a motor output member rotatable about the operator axis and is constructed and arranged to rotate the motor output member about the operator axis. A planet gear reduction transmission is connected between the motor output member and the operator output member. The reduction transmission rotates the operator output member at a lower rotational speed than a rotational speed at which the motor rotates the motor output member and applies a higher torque to the operator output member than a torque which the motor applies to the motor output member.
The reduction transmission comprises an orbit gear arranged generally coaxially with respect to the operator axis and a planet gear carrier positioned radially inwardly of the orbit gear and arranged for rotation about the operator axis. The planet gear carrier has a mounting portion offset generally radially from the output axis. The reduction transmission further comprises a planet gear rotatably mounted to the mounting portion of the planet gear carrier such that the planet gear rotates about a planet gear axis that extends through the mounting portion generally parallel to the operator axis. The planet gear is operatively connected to the motor output member and engaged with a radially inwardly facing interior surface of the orbit gear such that rotation of the motor output member rotates the planet gear relative to the planet gear carrier about the planet gear axis, which in turn causes the planet gear to roll along the interior surface of the orbit gear in a generally circumferential direction with respect to the operator axis. The planet gear carrier is thereby rotated about the output axis at a lower rotational speed and at a higher torque than the rotational speed and torque at which the motor rotates the motor output member. The planet gear carrier is operatively connected to the operator output member such that rotation of the planet gear carrier as a result of the planet gear being rotated by the motor output member as aforesaid rotates the operator output member to affect the relative movement between the frame and door panel mounting structures.
The retrofit power operated door operating system also comprises an input device operable to generate a door movement signal and a controller communicated to the motor of the axial operator. The controller is operable responsive to receiving the door movement signal to control operation of the motor so as to selectively cause the motor to rotate the motor output member and thereby rotate the operator output member to affect the powered swinging movement of the door panel between the opened and closed positions thereof.
With retrofit door operating systems, it would also be desirable to provide the system with an override that enables the door panel to be moved freely under manual power. Although in most retrofit door operating systems the door panel can be moved under manual power against the resistance of the operator (i.e., backdriving of the electric motor), jamming of internal components, such as the breakage of a gear tooth and subsequent lodging thereof in the gear train, can xe2x80x9cfreezexe2x80x9d the operator, thus preventing the ability to move the door panel either manually or under power.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a retrofit door system with an override feature that allows the door panel to be moved freely under manual power. To achieve this object, the present invention provides a retrofit power-operated door operating system for installation on a manual swing door assembly comprising a frame mounted to a building wall and a swinging door panel manually movable in a swinging manner with respect to the door frame between opened and closed positions thereof by manual force. The retrofit door operating system comprises a door panel mounting structure constructed and arranged to be mounted to the door panel and a wall mounting structure constructed and arranged to be mounted to the building wall. A linkage structure is connected between the door panel mounting structure and the wall mounting structure. A retrofit power-operated door operator is operatively connected to the linkage structure such that, when the system is installed on the swing door assembly, the operator drives the linkage structure to affect powered swinging movement of the door panel between the open and closed positions thereof.
Additionally, the retrofit door operating system comprises a manually operable clutch movable between an engaged position wherein the clutch enables the operative connection between the operator and the linkage such that operation of the operator under power affects the powered swinging movement of the door panel and a disengaged position wherein the clutch disables the operative connection between the operator and the linkage structure to permit manual swinging movement of the door panel. The clutch has a manually engagable release member constructed and arranged to be manually moved in a releasing manner. The clutch is constructed and arranged such that manual movement of the release member in the releasing manner moves clutch from the engaged position thereof to disengaged positions thereof.
The retrofit door operating system further comprises an input device operable to generate a door movement signal and a controller communicated to the operator. The controller is operable responsive to receiving the door movement signal to control operation of the operator so as to selectively cause the operator to drive the linkage structure as aforesaid to affect the powered swinging movement of the door panel between the opened and closed positions thereof.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.